Towering over 1250 feet above the beautiful Belle Fourche River stands a magnificent structure in northeast Wyoming.  The shape of this structure is that of a huge tree stump.  The base of this structure is over 1000 feet in diameter, while the top tapers to a 275 foot diameter.  It stands 870 vertical feet from base to top, the tallest such formation in the U.S.  This amazing structure has an incredible history  and its legends are told to this day.  It has been used for fame and fortune, religion and rituals, landmarks and legends, vacationers and visitors, movies and money, and many other things.  It is beautiful and majestic, captivating and unique, feared and awed among those who have been in its presence.  It has brought success to many and fate to some.  The history this structure holds within itself is incredible.  Its name sends fear to most and lives up to its reputation.  May I introduce to you the one and only "Devils Tower." (5)

Devils Tower historical significance begins with the theory of how it was formed.  There are basically two very different theories of the formation of the unique tower. One theory is scientifically based while the other is legend based.  Each belief has variances within themselves.  Both theories are very different but yet intriguing.

The scientific theory of how the tower was formed is believed by most scientist and geologist to be the hardened core of a once existing magma intrusion.  This magma intrusion forced its way upward but did not reach the surface.  It cooled and solidified underground into a hard, igneous rock called phonolite porphyry.  When the magma cooled and solidified underground, the rock contracted and fractured into large vertical columns of 4, 5, 6 or more sides.  After the volcano's core solidified it became an intruded plug.  This intruded plug remained through millions of years of time while the earth surrounding it slowly eroded away, exposing this massive structure we know today.

The other theory, or legend, of how the tower was formed, originated from the native Americans who lived in the land where the tower exist.  It is a  legend held by many Indians especially the Kiowa and the Cheyenne tribes.  The legend goes something like this:  Once upon a time tribal members were near the Indian camp along the river (Belle Fourche) when a gigantic hungry bear spotted them and chased them.  The huge and ferocious bear wanted to eat the Indians.  The Indians were afraid and ran for their lives.  While fleeing from the bear they climbed upon a large flat rock and prayed to the spirit of the rock to save them.  The spirit of the rock heard their prayers and began to grow.  It grew higher and higher until the Indians were safe from the ferocious bears sharp claws and gnashing teeth.  The gigantic bear tried to reach the Indians with its huge claws but failed and gouged large vertical marks in the rock while trying to obtain its prey.  Finally the massive bear was killed by the Indians and they climbed down the large rock and returned home.  They told their people the event that occurred with the bear and the rock.  From that point on the Indian's worshipped the great rock for saving their lives from the hungry bear.  To this day the rock is sacred to many Indians and controversy exist  for the use of the tower for religious purposes. (6)

Now, when someone ask how the tower received its name "Devils Tower" not many people can answer.  It is believed it originated from the Indians.  Back in 1876 Colonel Richard I. Dodge was in charge of a large military escort of a scientific team.  Unfortunately, he violated the Indian treaty rights when upon hearing that General George Custer's 1874 expedition reported gold in the Black Hills.  When Colonel Dodge arrived  in the Black Hills, and saw the tower, he inquired to the natives what they called it.  After difficulty in the translation the team believed the natives called it "the Devils Tower."  It is believed that the natives used this name only to scare the team, in-hopes that the Colonel and the team would communicate this to the white men and frighten them from coming to their land.  The Indians plan did not work.  Interestingly, the natives did have a name for the tower that was not linked to the devil but linked to the legend they held of the rock.  In the legend, after the Indians killed the great bear, it was believed that the great bears spirit lived within the rock.  This was one of the main reasons why the Indians worshipped the rock.  The massive structure soon became known to the Native Americans as "Mateo Tepee"  which translates to "Bear Lodge" and was known to be the dwelling place of bears among the tribes.  The name Devils Tower must have been promoted by Colonel Dodge and the scientific team because few recall why that name was ever used.

One of the most interesting historical facts about Devils Tower is how it became a National Monument. Used as a landmark and a spiritual place by  Indians, trappers, settlers, and others, Devils Tower became widely known.  It became so popular that Wyoming's senator, Francis E. Warren introduced to the U.S. Senate, a bill to establish Devils Tower National Park.  Sadly the bill failed, but through the purchase of land sections around the tower by the General Land Office in Washington DC, it did not allow the Tower to be exploited for private use.  When the National Park System was established in 1874 it helped create a conservation ethic from which the Antiquities Act of 1906 was created.  This Act allowed the President of the United States to create National Monuments.  With this authority, President Theodore Roosevelt made Devils Tower the very first National Monument on September 24, 1906.  In August of 1955 the National Monument boundary changed to include a total of  545 hectares, about 1347 acres, along the beautiful Belle Fourche river.  Because of that signing, the state of Wyoming had the honor of becoming the home of the very first national park, and the very first national monument.

The creation of Devils Tower National Monument has made it a very large attraction to tourist throughout its history.  In the 1890's the Tower was used as a place to celebrate Independence day.  This celebration occurred many times throughout the years.  In 1935 water and electricity was installed and a museum was built out of rough-hewn logs and  filled with exhibits.  The museum still stands today and is used for the registration of rock climbers.  From 1931 to 1941, through the depression years, the parks tourism tripled.  It became popular in 1941 when "Devils Tower George" Hopkins parachuted out of a plane and landed on the top of the tower.  Unfortunately, he could not figure out how to get off of the tower and was stranded.  Jack Durrance, a world renowned American climber, safely rescued Hopkins off of the tower five days after his jump.  This event made national news and the whole nation was in suspense during the rescue mission.  Devils Tower once again became very famous when it was used in the 1979 movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."  The draw of climbing this magnificent structure has increased the towers popularity.  Also, the development of five different trails around or near the tower have allowed many people to indulge themselves in the beauty of this national monument.  These five trails offer a total of six miles of opportunity.  Camping at the tower is encouraged.  The tower offers one campground with about 50 campsites in it that will accommodate both tents and trailer camping equipment.  The towers popularity has grown so much it now has over 300,000 visitors every year.

Another significant fact about the first national monument is that is has one of the few protected prairie dog reserves.  These lively little rodents that once numbered into the billions two-hundred years ago but became subject to strategic eradication campaigns because of the cattle industry, are now allowed to live in their natural habitat.  These large ground squirrels are incredibly fun to watch at the tower because they are protected and are curious rather than cautious.  They are incredible imitators of ourselves by their communal busyness.

The climbing history Devils Tower holds is simply astonishing and begins back in 1893.  William Rogers, a local cowboy, and his partner Willard Ripley are the first known people to reach the summit of the massive granite structure.  They reached the summit by way of a wooden ladder they bravely constructed up the tower that spring.  They drove wooden pegs into a large vertical crack and the ladder attached to the wooden pegs.  The wooden ladder was over 350 feet tall, (107meters).  On July 4, 1893, at the towers traditional Independence Day celebration, Rogers and Ripley climbed the tower using their ladder and strung up Old Glory on a flagpole they somehow managed to previously drag upto the top.  The climb took only an hour.  It was such a spectacular event to those watching that Rogers and Ripley could hear the crowd cheering on the ground while standing on the summit.  It was touted that the event on July 4, 1893 was better than the Worlds Fair.  Undoubtedly, Rogers, and most likely Ripley, stood on the summit many times before July 4, 1893 but nothing had been documented until that eventful day.  Two years later, Mrs. Rogers used the ladder her husband constructed to become the very first woman to reach the top of the tower.  In 1927, the last person to use the ladder was Babe White.  He was famous for his exploits in climbing skyscrapers.�� The ladder was 34 years old when it was retired.  Amazingly,  pieces of the ladder can still be viewed today.  The crack in-which the ladder exist, and the ladder, are now protected, and it is illegal to climb the ladder or the crack today.  The ladder is over 100 years old and is a vital part of the history of Devils Tower.

Climbing the tower has been a large reason why many people have been to the tower. A climbing record has been kept since 1937 when the world famous climber Fritz Wiessner pioneered the very first technical climb up the tower.  He climbed a route on the south face of the tower.  Shortly after that in 1938, Jack Durrance pioneered a second technical route up the south face.  These routes are still some of the most popular climbing routes today.  The first all-woman party climbed the tower in 1952.  In 1963, the one thousandth climber checked in to the station and registered to climb the tower.  Seven years later that number doubled.�� Today, climbing the tower has become so popular that over 10,000 climbers have registered to climb the renowned granite cracks.  Now there are almost 200 different technical climbs on and around the tower, with a wide variety of interesting names for the routes.  A few examples of these unique names are: Durrance, Weissner, Bon Homme, Walt Baily, Hollywood & Vine, Last Cowgirl Camp, Beelzebub, Casper College, Assemblyline, Old Guys in Lycra, Ants on Angel Food, Maid in the Shaid, Back to Montana, No Kiss for Dog Lips, Whine & Bruises, Buster Cattlefield,  Spank the Monkey, and many other names.  The tower has become a huge destination for rock climbers.

Gazing upon the tower brings questions of what the summit is really like.  In 1978 two men decided to climb to the summit and photograph and document the contour of the summit and the animals that lived there.  They found that the summit is not as flat as it looks from below and has a soil very similar to the ground.  The summit has grasses, sagebrush, currant, and prickly pear cactus.  The two men also spotted a wood rat, chipmunks and many different birds.  Probably the most amazing living creature seen on the top is the rattlesnake.  Many climbers have witnessed the snakes on the top and warned others of them.  It is believed the snakes were either dropped on top by predatory birds or that they actually climbed up the sides of the sheer walls and took
residence

. 

With the increased popularity in climbing the tower, conflict has risen for its use.�� This conflict mainly exist between the Native Americans and the rock climbers.  Over twenty Native American tribes have been using the tower for fulfillment of their spiritual needs with sun dances, sweat lodge rites, vision quest and prayer offerings.  These traditions have been routinely disrupted because the popularity of climbing in the last two decades.  The National Park Service carefully tailored a plan to balance the use of the tower after consulting with the Native Americans, environmentalist, and rock climbers.  They implemented a request to all park visitors to respect the importance of the traditions of the Native Americans.  The Park Service has also asked that the rock climbers not climb the tower in the month of June, allowing the Native Americans to carry out their traditions during the most important time for Indian worship.  Unfortunately, this request has not been granted by all climbers, and to make matters worse the Mountain States Legal Foundation, and a handful of climbers, filed suit on the Park Services plan arguing that the plan "establishes" religion in violation of the First Amendment.  Sadly, some of the Native Americans have abandoned the sacred site they have been using for centuries before this Republic even existed, because of the disruptions and conflict occurring today.  The future of Devils Tower and the culture of the Native Americans spiritual traditions are in the hands of the court.  It will be interesting to see what occurs from the judicial decision.

On the other side of the coin, some of the guiding companies of the climbing industry are hoping for freedom of the tower allowing them to bring in more climbers and earn more income.  June is a very good month of the year to climb the tower because of the wonderful weather it maintains.  The weather is usually not too hot and not too cold, and since climbing is usually very physically demanding adequate temperature is crucial to business of climbing.  Many tourist are on their vacation at this time of the year and some are eagerly wanting to climb the tower.  Unfortunately, not all people realize the plan the National Park Service has implemented.  These people are angry when they arrive and are informed they are not allowed to climb.  Another very frustrating matter to both the climbers and the climbing companies is to witness the month of June go by with no Native American spiritual activities occurring.  Most climbers are willing to observe the parks request and do not climb in June but then there are some who do not want to understand Indian religion and hope for a judicial decision allowing them to climb every month.

With all of the politics occurring over Devils Tower one thing remains the same, the amazing beauty of this magnificent structure.  It stands tall, enduring freezing temperatures in the harshness of winter, and gleams in the sweltering heat of summer.�� This beautiful monument is surrounded by the gorgeous Belle Fourche river reflecting the majesty of this quite giant.  The monument offers many wonderful activities, and a wide variety of emotions can occur in the presence of this giant.  History gleams from its crags and leaps from its summit.  The constant Wyoming wind blows gently across the sheer rock faces, through the trees, and across the grasses.  If you listen closely to the wind you might hear the roar of the great bear from within the tower, or the whoop of an Indian celebrating in a Sun Dance.  Maybe you can hear the clinging and clanking of the climbing gear smacking against the rock from some climbers high up on a face.  Most likely you can hear the chirp of the ground hog who is curiously watching you, or the buzz of the rattlesnake slithering its way to the summit, or the clicking of the hooves of the deer as they quickly pass by.  It is an honor and a privilege to visit the very first national monument.  The question arises, have you been in the presence of  the great  "Mateo Tepee?"

BIBLIOGRAHY

(1) National Park Sevice. Devils Tower National Monument, 1981. U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C.

(2)  McGee, Dingus, and the Last Pioneer Woman. Free Climbs of Devils Tower,1992. Poorperson's Guidebooks, 655 N. Cedar, Laramie, WY 82070

(3)  Hunger, Bill. The Hicker's Guide to Wyoming, 1992. Falcon Press Publishing Co., Inc., P.O. Box 1718, Helena, MT 59624

(4)  Nation, The. Native Rites and Wrongs, p. 4-5. July 21, 1997
 
(5)  "Devils Tower, Wyoming."
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/north_america/devils_tower.html (April 23, 1998)

(6) "Devils Tower National Monument - The Legend." 1995.
http://www.state.sd.us./tourism/devtower/devtower.htm (April 2, 1998)

(7) "Devils Tower National Monument."
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/Parks/devils_tower/devils_tower.html (April 23, 1998)

Created April 23, 1998

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